Digital signal receiver and digital signal display method

1. A digital signal receiver, comprising: a reception processor operable to receive a broadcast signal and information data contained in said broadcast signal, said information data being repetitively transmitted during each of a plurality of first time periods of said broadcast signal, said reception processor including a browser operable to cause said received information data to be output in a user-perceptible manner; and a distributed information storage unit operable to obtain said received information data from said reception processor, said distributed information storage unit including a period separating unit and a periodizing unit, said period separating unit being operable to separate an amount of information data from said obtained information data, said separated amount of information data corresponding to an amount of said information data transmitted during a single, whole one of said first time periods, said distributed information storage unit being further operable to store said separated amount of information data in a data storage device, and to read said stored information data from said data storage device, said periodizing unit being operable to process said read information data into a periodic signal having a plurality of second time periods, said read information data being periodically contained in each of said second time periods, said distributed information storage unit being further operable to provide said periodic signal to said reception processor for output of said information data contained in said periodic signal using said browser.

2. The digital signal receiver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said distributed information storage unit includes said data storage device.

3. The digital signal receiver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said distributed information storage unit further includes a table-of-contents generating unit operable to generate a menu frame representing plural information items contained in said read information data.

4. The digital signal receiver as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said table-of-contents generating unit is operable to generate said menu frame for each user by inputting preference information for each said user.

5. The digital signal receiver as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said table-of-contents generating unit is operable to generate said menu frame using information on priorities of contents which a user desires to be output in said user-perceptible manner.

6. The digital signal receiver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said reception processor includes an encryption unit operable to form encrypted information data by encrypting said received information data before said received information data is obtained by said distributed information storage unit, and said distributed information storage unit further includes a decryption unit operable to decrypt said encrypted information data obtained from said reception processor.

7. The digital signal receiver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said distributed information storage unit further includes an encryption unit operable to form an encrypted periodic signal by encrypting said periodic signal before said periodic signal is supplied to said reception processor, and said reception processor includes a decryption unit operable to decrypt said encrypted periodic signal supplied from said distributed information storage unit.

8. A digital signal receiver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said information data contained in said broadcast signal is described in a markup language and said browser corresponds to said markup language, such that said browser is operable to cause said received information data to be output in accordance with said markup language.

9. A digital signal display method, comprising: receiving a broadcast signal and information data contained in said broadcast signal, said information data being repetitively transmitted during each of a plurality of first time periods of said broadcast signal; separating an amount of information data from said received information data, said separated amount of information data corresponding to an amount of said information data transmitted during a single, whole one of said first time periods; storing said separated amount of information data in a data storage device; reading out said stored information data from said data storage device; processing said read information data into a periodic signal having a plurality of second time periods, said read information data being periodically contained in each of said second time periods; and displaying said information data contained in said periodic signal on a display unit using a browser.

10. The digital signal display method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising encrypting said received information data to form encrypted information data and decrypting said encrypted information data to form decrypted information data after said step of receiving said broadcast signal and before said step of separating said amount of information data from said received information data.

11. The digital signal display method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising encrypting said periodic signal to form an encrypted periodic signal and decrypting said encrypted periodic signal to form a decrypted periodic signal, wherein said step of displaying includes displaying said decrypted periodic signal.

12. A digital signal display method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said information data contained in said broadcast signal is described in a markup language, said browser corresponds to said markup language, and said information data contained in said periodic signal is displayed in accordance with said markup language.